Former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody has labelled yesterday's terror attack on his former side in Lahore "inevitable."

Moody, who coached Sri Lanka from 2005-2007, said he was shocked but not surprised to learn of the assault on the team bus which left six police officers and two civilians dead.

Six Sri Lanka players and their assistant coach Paul Fabrace were injured.

"It's quite eerie," said Moody.

Lahore attack was waiting to happen

"It was nearly inevitable given the turmoil that we've seen - not only in Pakistan but the issues in Sri Lanka as well with the ongoing conflict there - that a sporting team was (going to be) in the firing line so to speak at some stage.

"It just highlights again no one's safe, whether it's a sporting organisation or just a member of the public going on holidays.

"It doesn't matter where it is, it's the world we're living in."

Pakistan can forget cricket for now

Moody says it is simply too soon to predict how long it will be before international teams return to Pakistan, but he is adamant there is "no chance" of any cricket taking place in the troubled nation any time soon.

"It's thrown a very dark cloud over Pakistan cricket and I just feel very sorry for the Pakistan cricketers that boast a huge amount of talent and can offer the international game so much," he said.

"But unfortunately their country's in a position where it's not safe."

"I could reach only the captain"

Moody attempted to contact several of his former players when he first learned of their horrific ordeal without success, but eventually managed to track down captain Mahela Jayawardene.

Asked to recount the conversation Moody recalled: "He just emphasised how fortunate that they are to be alive because apparently a rocket launcher just missed the bus.

"They're sort of owing that they're still here to the bus driver. Apparently they were yelling to the bus driver to keep going and thankfully for them the bus driver wasn't taken out and shot because they would have been a sitting duck then.

The driver's heroics

"The driver managed to keep going through the turmoil - they were only about 150 metres away from the stadium - and got them inside the stadium into a safe place where the boys rushed, and in some cases limped, into the dressing room."